Christmas cake recipe required
 

Hi, I haven’t made a Christmas cake since I made one at school over thirty years ago! Usually buy a ready iced one or a nice fruit cake and marzipan and ice it at home with the children. DD15 doesn’t like fruit cake but really wants to make a Xmas cake this year and I like the idea of us making one together, but put off by the list of ingredients some need and the worry of spending a fortune and it not being great. Hate glacé cherries and loads of recipes state them-is it an issue to leave them out? Not sure I’ve noticed them in the fruit cakes I’ve bought. If anyone has any good tried and tested recipes I’d be interested. Making it next weekend suits us time wise so keen to get all the ingredients bought.

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/produc...SABEgJbqPD_BwE

How about this, all the fun but a bit more budget friendly.

I use Delia Smith’s recipe and have done for years. I make a few for friends and family and it always goes down well.
It is perfectly fine to leave out cherries or mixed peel. I never put any nuts in mine.
https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/...christmas-cake

How about this, all the fun but a bit more budget friendly.[/QUOTE]

Thank you-that looks like a good option and I can see from reviews that it is still one that needs “feeding”.
Will see what DD fancies

Thank you-that looks like a good option and I can see from reviews that it is still one that needs “feeding”.
Will see what DD fancies[/QUOTE]

We’ve made this cake the past few years. The fruit is presoaked in brandy. I haven’t “fed” it at all, and I’ve always found it moist and flavourful. I do buy extra marzipan though as it only comes with enough to do the top.

P.s it’s usually cheaper to buy via ocado.

Second the Delia one, it is fantastic and worth the effort, everyone always asks me are you making one for me this year .

I never feed mine. I do soak the fruit in brandy for a few days before making the cakes purely because I get the fruit all organised and then take a few days to get my act together to make the cake.
To be honest it is one of the easiest cakes to make and because there is so much fruit in it you have no worries about fruit sinking. 😊
Lining the tin is the bit I don’t like.

I liked the idea of the Delia one as always found her recipes quite easy to follow and had good success. Was put off by the nuts on the top so nice to know can leave out. Think DD will like the idea of feeding the cake and doing it traditionally I guess. Thanks for all the tips

Thanks to this thread I got organised today and have the fruit for 3 cakes sitting on the countertop soaking in brandy so thank you!

I usually wait to put the lemon and orange zest in when actually putting the mixture together and I also add the treacle in with the butter and sugar as I find it mixes in easier at that stage.

I always did Nigella's Christmas Cake from her Christmas Book, but earlier this year I used Delia's Creole Christmas Cake recipe for DS and DDIL 2nd wedding cake (in the interests of fairness, first wedding cake was made by Bride's mother and used at the overseas part of the wedding).

https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/...christmas-cake

Everyone raved about it and because it was for a special occasion, I bought top quality raisins and currants from Holland and Barretts and fancy mixed peel from Waitrose and you could really tell the difference, no stalks or seeds and really yummy Caribbean flavours.